Rare Birds Books has launched Scotland’s first female-centric bookshop in the heart of Edinburgh.
In a bold move that saw the globally beloved book club show resilience and innovation in a time of retail uncertainty, founder Rachel Wood welcomed over 1500 visitors into the shop over the first trading weekend.
Opened last month, at 13 Raeburn Place in Edinburgh’s Stockbridge neighbourhood, Rare Birds Books saw over 2000 customers during its first month, selling around 3000 books – proof that the nation’s love of reading has not abated following the end of lockdown.
Rare Birds Book Club was founded on a simple principle: books should be fun to read. Centred upon contemporary women’s fiction, Rare Birds Book Club selects only the very best pacey, interesting stories with gripping plotlines, amazing heroines, happyish endings, and – when the occasion calls for it – totally smouldering love interests.
Members can choose to be part of the club for three, six or 12 months, as well as on a rolling basis if needed.
In an even further show of local solidarity, Edinburgh shoppers came out in force, with one of the shop’s top four best-sellers over the last month being Luckenbooth, a haunting novel by Scotland-born Jenni Fagen. A story set in Edinburgh, it is joined by Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett, which were both past Rare Birds Book Club picks, as well as Things Remembered and Things Forgotten by Kyoko Nakajima.
Besides the books that customers from around the UK have flocked to purchase, the store has also had to re-stock its now iconic tote bag and a number of the newly launched scented candles, which are made to be paired with whatever genre you are reading. True Crime scent and Writer’s Block have both flown off the shelves and are looking to be Christmas must-haves this year.
Book club founder and shop owner, Rachel Wood, said: ‘The store was always supposed to be the physical representation of our beloved book club, and we are thrilled our rare birds have already shown so much support in these initial days of launch.
‘So far online and in-store sales are neck and neck, so we like to think that our neighbours are enjoying visiting us in person, whilst the rest of our fans around the world continue to join us virtually month on month as we discuss our club picks. Now that we are allowed to start hosting events, we will be welcoming in readers from all over for shopping evenings, author events and in-person book club sessions – it’s going to be amazing!’
For more information visit https://rarebirdsbookclub.com/
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